Hawaii: Land of Rainbows & Alohas

Palm trees, luaus, and volcanoes galore! The 50th state in the Union is more than just an exotic island destination. It’s a place of unique character, culture and charm. Allow the spirit of Hawaii to heal you and bring you joy in your adventures!

Did you know…?

Aloha spirit is actually a law in the State of Hawaii?

Aloha means more than hello and goodbye.Its deeper meaning is “the joyful (oha) sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo).” Aloha Spirit is the coordination of mind and heart within each person, who must think and emote good feeling and affection on others, expecting no obligation in return.

A “Akahai” meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness

L “Lokahi” meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony

O “Oluolu” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness

H “Haahaa” meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty

A “Ahonui” meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance

Hawaii has been ranked No. 1 in the country for general well-being. These traits are evident in the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii’s people. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet?

The 5 vowels of the alphabet (piapa) are A,E,I,O,U. The 7 consonants are H,K,L,M,N,P,W, and a symbol called an ‘okina (‘) which marks a glottal stop in airflow. Hawaiian words only end in vowels, and each consonant must also be followed by a vowel. President Obama was born on the island of O’ahu?

Sure there’s been controversy surrounding his birthplace from naysayers, but cut the man some slack! He was visiting family for the holidays while I was there, where he exercised every morning at a heavily guarded Marine base near his vacation home, and played golf and basketball. Check out that motorcade!Many movies and TV shows were filmed in Hawaii, even if not based there?

Oahu hosted Hawaii Five-O, Lost, The Descendants, Pearl Harbour and parts of 50 First Dates. Portions of Jurassic Park, George of the Jungle, Tropic Thunder, and South Pacific were shot on Kauai. The Tempest, Waterworld, and an Indiana Jones were shot on the Big Island.Casual Friday originated in Hawaii?

In 1966, the Hawaiian garment industry was trying to sell more shirts, and they came up with the idea of “Aloha Friday.” The idea was to encourage Hawaiian businesses to let their employees wear Hawaiian shirts to the office once a week, making employees feel more relaxed. It evidently caught on in mainland America corporate world – although not to such a laidback extreme!Honolulu has the worst traffic congestion of any city in the USA?

For all of its tropical beauty and allure, not everything on Oahu is sunsets, smiles, and rainbows. The average annual time wasted in traffic (versus driving the same route on uncontested roads) is 58 hours. this leaves the population of 1 million battling with 5 million visitors.Honolulu is the largest city in the world?

Hawaii’s State Constitution states that any island not named as belonging to a county belongs to Honolulu. This makes the entire island of Oahu, plus all the other small, uninhabited islands part of Honolulu, making the city 1,500 miles long (halfway across the USA!) Nicknamed ‘The Gathering Place,’ the capital island is home to nearly three-quarters of Hawaii’s residents.There are no racial or ethnic majorities in Hawaii?

About 30% of Hawaii’s residents are Caucasian. Asians make up about 40%. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders make up about 9% of the population. It doesn’t matter if you were born in Hawaii or how long you’ve lived there, only those with Hawaiian ancestry are called Hawaiians. The people who live there are simply called locals. Honolulu is the sixth most expensive city in the United States?

And the 22nd priciest in the world. Cost of living in Honolulu is quite hefty with an average $2,ooo rent and $5/mile taxi ride. I was shocked to discover that prices are a staggering 25% higher than in Sydney, which is already ridiculously high.Hawaii is the only State in the USA that continually grows larger?

Hawaii’s Big Island is still growing due to volcanic activity that flows into the ocean and cools and forms new land. Big Island is the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands, at just over one million years old.A lei comes with strict rules?

In Hawaii, no celebration is complete without a lei. It’s impolite to refuse a lei, remove it in front of the person who gave it to you, or wear one that you intend to give to someone else. Pregnant women only wear lei which are open ended and not tied into a circle. A closed lei around the neck is considered bad luck for the child. The lei is a symbol of love, welcome, hello, good bye. In other words: aloha.The coldest temperature ever recorded in Honolulu is 52 degrees?

And that was back in January 1969! On average, the low temperature is mid 60s, with winter highs often reaching 80 degrees. Where can I sign up?!The Hang Loose sign was made popular on the north shore of Oahu in Laie?

Hang loose or Shaka Sign, is a greeting representing the wave of local leader Hamana Kalilii who lost three fingers in an industrial accident.Oahu houses the only royal palace in America?

The Iolani Palace is the only official state residence of royalty on US soil. It was built in 1882 when Hawaii was still under monarch rule. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1893, the building was used as the capitol building, until it was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1978.

These are awesome facts! My best friend is living in Honolulu for the next couple of years, and I’m actually going out to visit her in just over a week! SO excited. She’s trying to convince me to move there and after a wintery weekend in April here, I’m thinking about it …

I had a lot of fun reading through these! I’ve never been to Hawaii, but my boyfriend has gone most summers with his family. Hopefully I’ll get to visit soon (and know a few new facts to take with me!)

WOW! Hawaii is definitely on my bucket list. It looks amazing! I have a friend who went to Hawaii for a friend’s wedding and fell in love with the laid back friendly environment and is now planning to move there. And that is crazy about the temperatures! If I could move all my family and friends there, I would be game!

These are such cool & unique tips, Shane! I finally had a chance to visit Oahu and Maui around this time last year and it only made me want to go back again ASAP, such a beautiful place. Also, I love that Hawaiians created casual Friday, not surprised at all!